The Washington bee., 1887-01-29


i COLoRED VOTER DEMANDS MAT
THEws CONFIRMATION.
KANSAS CRY, (Mo) DISPATCH =
The confirmation of James G.
Matthews seems to be o, cupying
considerable space and attention
through the colored press. The
Washington BEE is cbampoining
the cause of Mr.. Matthews, and it
has taken the right stand. Mr..
Matthews should be confirmed. 1t
is true he is a colored man and a
democrat. What of that? A col
ored man has IA much right to be
a democrat as a white man. What
Mr.. Matthews has done in Topping
over thousands of white men have
done, and nothing said. If Mr..
Matthews has served his party well
he now deserves to be rewarded as
any other democrat, leaving color
entirely out of the question. The
senate should confirm him.
ATLANTA, (GA.,) SOUTHERN RECORD
Err The possible rejection of Mr..
Matthews, by the United States
Senate, appears to tickle some of
our people very much indeed. Well,
we are not tickled, to the contra
~ we are indignant. Where the
fun comes in we are unable to see.
Men Of far seeing sense, will find
nothing to amuse them in the mat
ter. 1t is part of the internal poll
cy, inaugurated by the Supreme
court but recently, that cOlored
men are not to be factors ofthe
civil and political machinery of
this nation, much less free and
independent factors. Mr.. Matthews
is scholar and gentleman. We
know him in person we have visi-
ted his fine home in Albany, n. Y,
diued at his table, etc., and we
know him to be in every respect
qualified for the position he holds.
If Mr.. Sumner was living he would
contend for his confirmation-be
cause Mr.. Matthews is man re-
gardless of his politics. But the
great giants Of the Senate are
about all gone, and the friends of
the Negro are gone, and this re,
lection means his epitaph. The
day Matthews is slaughtered, the
Negro race suffers d. feat.
DETROIT, (Mich.) PLAINDEALER !:
1t it be true as reported of Sena-
tor ingalls, in regard to Matthew'S
confirmation as Recorder, that he
said or even implied, that an Afro
vote any ticket Guf f9f The ef t.
some one ought to step upon him.
Such an opinion is even against the
principles of the Republican party,
and should be checked in the bud,
if the party ever again expects to
come into power. The right Of
men to vote for what men and
measures they please is sacred,
and must not be restricted. To
force them to vote for any measure
or man, by threats, direct or i'm.
piled, is against the fundamental
principles of the Republic.
The Republican Senate is in the
business OF confil ming Democrats,
and as long as Matthews is eligi-
ble to the Office to which the Presi-
dent has twice sent his nomination,
the Senate cannot do unwisely
In confirming the appointment. Any
other course will be unwise, create
more enemies than friends amoug
the Afro American, and if anything
tend to influence more voters to
leave the Republican party.
CLEVELAND & THE NEGRO.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN LEADER We
have reched a point in the
political history of of the Negro at
which we can well exclaim, sSave
me from my friends" With Mat
thews as Democrat, we have but
little political sympathy, but with
Matthews as a cOlOred man, we are
in the same boat his lot is our lot,
SO is his destiny, be it for veal or
woe. Bound together by ties of
complexion. race and condition,
we are color ed Americans first and
partisans afterwards. 1t is unlver-
sally admitted that Matthews has
a good character and that he is
eminently qualified to fill the office
of Recorder of Deeds, and more so,
from legal and clerical point than
Frederick Douglass. With this
fact patent to all, Matthews should
have been confirmed when his name
was first sent into the Senate.
If the Republican Senators sup
pose that the II lection of Matthews
will have the effect of deterring
other colored men from acting with |
the Democratic Darty. thew ara |